Fossil Orangutan-like hominoid teeth from Late Pleistocene human site of Mulanshan cave in Chongzuo of Guangxi and implications on taxonomy and evolution of orangutan

Abstract

Fossil records indicate orangutan-like hominoids have been widely distributed in south China during Pleistocene, although currently only surviving in the tropical forests of Kalimantan and Sumatra in Indonesia. This paper describes the recently discovered hominoid fossil teeth from human site of Mulanshan cave in Chongzuo of Guangxi, whose geological age is the Late Pleistocene, about 11000 yeas age based on associated mammal fauna and U-series dating. Compared with those of modern and subfossil orangutans from Indonesia, other fossil great apes from China, the hominoid teeth from Mulanshan cave are orangutan-like, but show somehow different from Indonesia’s orangutans, the average sizes of cheek teeth larger and occlusal enamel wrinkles less and simpler. They are classified temporarily as the subspecies of Pongo pygmaeus weidenreichi. Concerning the variations of morphological features and dental sizes of orangutan-like teeth from southern China and neighboring northern Vietnam, different subspecies or species or genus possibly, but the key evidence is necessary to be identified.